The Washington critic., 1887-04-02
THE NEW ,srRICr JUDGE.

Inc appointment OF Mr.. Montgomery 70
succeed Judge Macarthur upon the Su-
preme Court Bench of the District Is beyond
question an excellent one, su far rs qunllll-
cations are concerned. The appOintee has
record at the Michigan bar which places
him In the trout ranks Of his profession.
Friends who know him most intimately
unite In crelitlng him with u slngularly
clear judgment, quick perceptions and an
eminently judicial inind. These qualities
have been conspIcuously exhibited duriug
his official career ia Washiugton as Com
missioner OF Patents,
As to the matter OF locality, that "a some
thing which will soon settle Itself. Tue
citizens Of the Dlstrc. specially the resi-
dent lawyers-would probably have pre-
ferred the selection Of some one Of their
own number, aud there is no lack uf local
material, but we have the utmost c5nlieuce
that Justice Montgomery, by his able aud
honorable administration OF the new trust
imposed upon him, will speedily commend
himself to the esteem aud confidence OF our
people and convert their temporary disap-
pointment into permanent satisfaction.
The friends Of Judge Payne, the auditor
OF the court, will naturally regret that the
claims preferred In his interest were not
recognized. He Is q man OF great legal
learning and experience, wei equipped in
all respects for judicial duty, and he CON.
manded more nearly the unanimous sup
port OF the District bar than, perhaps, any
Il the candidates named. The appointment
Of Mr.. Montgomery, however, by no means
,nlaa Mr. pavpa
tunity Of future honors. In the order of
events there will be other vacancies to ILL.,
and tile warm admiration In which he Is
held, as well as the uniform dignity of his
character and conduct, constitute strong
assurance that he will yet receive the con-
sideration to which his merits entitc him.
Mn. RANDALL made speech In Philadel-
phia Thursday night before the Amerlcus
Club in that city, In which he reviewed the
work of the last Congress and extracted a
great deal Of consolation from 1t. True,
many things were done which he did not
like, and other things were left undone that
he would like to have seen done, but after
all, the Democratic Executive and the Dem
ocratic House, largely with the cooperation
Of the Senate, he was free to admit, had
impressed upon the statute books OF tn,
country more remedial and corrective legis
lation than was ever passed before at sin
gle term Of Congressional life IN the Who'll,
history Of the Government. lie alludei
particularly to the Presidential Succession
bill, the Electoral Count bill, the Retalia
tion bill, the Trade Dollar BILL the Iuter.tat,
Commerce bin, the Land Grant Forfeitur,
bills, tho Mexican Pension bin, the Trades
Union bill and the repeal OF the Tenure-of
Office act Upon that record alone he be
lieves the party IN power can safely go tC
the country, and be IA possibly right, not
wi'hstsnding the failure Of the Congress t.
consider measures of revenue reform OF
provide against the accumulation Of an
undue surplus in the Treasury. Mr.
Randall's speech, from party standpoint,
was au excellent One-temperltc, cOnserva.
tive al judlcious TO read It, one would
never imagine that rs author was the ob,
strucliye partisan, the c0nscleuceless bull.
Gozer aud ruc-orruih~utocrat he is charged
with being-siill less an ally OF the Repub.
lican party whom the Democracy are In
duty bound to throw overheard. We should
infer from what he said to the Americu,
Club that he considers himself as good
Democrat as the best OF 'em, and that h,
would have no objection to being Speake CT
Of the next House.